EMPIRE AIR SCHEME

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 September 1941, Page 6

EMPIRE AIR SCHEME

WILL CONTINUE WHILE WAR LASTS a STATEMENT BY AUSTRALIAN MINISTER. SIR E. PAGE ON TRADE OUTLOOK. (By Telegraph—Press Association— CopyrighlI CANBERRA, September 18. The Minister of Air, Mr McEwen, in a statement today, said, ‘‘lt goes with.out saying that the Empire Air Scheme must be continued for as long as the war lasts.” He was commenting on the forthcoming London conference, which he described as ‘‘an early discussion on something which is to happen after 1943, when the present agreement expires.” More than 50 per cent of the Australian soldiers who were originally posted missing have been traced, declared the Minister of the Army, Mr Spender, in the House of Representatives today. He explained that some hundreds of Australians had rejoined, their units or been located in hospitals and the remainder were prisoners of war in enemy countries, and advice had been received that their condition had improved. The Minister of Commerce, Sir Earle Page, stated today that a slight improvement in the shipping position had helped Australia to dispose of the whole of her surplus primary products except fresh fruit and wine. He made it clear that the publicity campaign had greatly stimulated the consumption of lamb, and he said he would not be surprised if the local market ran short of supplies.